I MOVED MY BLOG TO STYLISHMUSE.COM

WWW.STYLISHMUSE.COM

Hop on over to this site because that's where all the fashion + design stuff is!

I'M MOVING UP IN THE WORLD | BRAND LAUNCH

I have two pieces of very exciting news that I hope you will be thrilled with. For the past eight to nine months, I have been building up my own design company that deals with photography, web design, and blog design. My little business even has a branding guideline for the logo! Elysian Designs has had so much thought put into it and was built on a lot of long prayers. I am finally to the point of wanting to launch my site and share it with you guys!

I strongly considered embedding this blog into my design site but decided against it because I felt that this blog deserved it's own domain. Although there is big changes in the Web Design part of my life there will be a pretty big change in the blog part of my life as well! As of today, I am redesigning my blog and switching it over to WordPress. Blogger has been crazy awesome but I believe it is time to make the change at this point of my blogging career.

One more change and then I promise I am done making your heard spin. I am changing the title of my blog to "Stylish Muse" and I will start opening up my content in a new direction! Once I make the switch, which hopefully won't be too messy, I am going to start writing posts that contain font freebies, blog advice, as well as keeping you up to date with my new closet finds (of course!). Stylish Muse fits the general idea that I plan on having.

Before summer ended and time became extinct I wanted to make sure all of my brand launches happened to where I could put the maximum amount of hours in to making everything perfect!

I hope you can give a big warm welcome to Elysian Designs and Stylish Muse, which will be going LIVE super soon!! Get pumped!!

HOUNDSTOOTH AND RED GO HAND IN HAND

Pulling out the red heels that were used to celebrate the fourth of July for a completely different occasion! TODAY I have just finished my Design site that has all of my photography, portfolio work with web design, and blog experience in one place. I will share the URL with you as soon as I decide to launch publicly (give me a few weeks)! This dress was found at Plato's closet and is timeless. Who doesn't like this pattern?

// MY WISH LIST //

ONE 

TWO 

THREE 

FOUR

THE WEDDING // HAPPILY EVER AFTER

It went by so quickly. All the extravagant singing while getting ready for the wedding with the bridesmaids, the sweet moments I had with my family, every moment that ended with a laugh and a kiss with Creed. I just blinked and I was a married woman. All the tedious planning was no longer needed. Creed put his arms around my waist to pull me in the direction toward the sparkler exit. After the pictures had been taken and the goodbye's had been said I was attempting to crawl in the seat of his truck (wedding dresses can be relentless/immobilizing).

We started our journey together as husband + wife that night. So glad I chose him.




Although our first day as husband and wife was full of people coming over to our apartment, it made us even more thankful for our time alone on the honeymoon. Being a wife has been a million and one times better than being a girlfriend. We were told by many that everything would change, especially the way we saw each other. Fighting was supposedly the number one thing we would do throughout our first year of marriage. I can honestly say without crossing any of my fingers that these past few months have been the best months we have ever had with each other. We had spent so long getting to know one another's hearts, there was no mindless dating involved in our relationship. From day one, we had marriage in mind because dating was so, so serious to both of us. That left little room for any "surprises" about one another to pop up.

We are more of a team than we ever have been. There have already been a few bumpy areas that could have turned us away from each other, but we chose to not let them set a bad foundation for our marriage.

With the conclusion of these wedding posts, a few posts about our honeymoon sound pretty enticing. I may get started on organizing all of those pictures into a couple of posts so that I can share a few moments of our time together on the beach with you guys.

BIG NEWS : Okay so I may transfer my blog over to my design site on WordPress. I am still in the deciding stage so I am not 100% sure right now. I have a few design projects that I am working on and as soon as I finish, I may begin the transfer to wordpress! This URL will still be valid, it will automatically lead you to my new URL so no worries there! What do you think?

THE WEDDING // ONE BIG PARTAY

Our reception was full of air guitar playing, boogieing down on the dance floor, and families catching up after long periods away from each other. The room was filled with laughter and I loved every second of it. Creed and I left the reception with our hearts full from all the sweet gifts and words sent our way.

I liked that our wedding turned out to be one big party. After we got back from our honeymoon, I was constantly praised for how the wedding turned out (even though all the praises should have really been aimed toward my mom because she was a SUPERSTAR behind the scenes).



My brother is not known for being sentimental but there it was, a sweet message laced with affection sitting on my phone screen waiting to be read the night before I got married. He has been known to harass more than love. He is also not one to dance so here is a picture capturing a very rare moment that I doubt the Earth will ever see again: Connor shuffling his toes to music.



The night was coming to an end and I didn't want to stop. My feet felt like they were about to burst from all the pain but I could not keep myself from dancing. No one could. But in the blink of an eye, the lights outside slowly started to fade and it was time for the sparkler exit to begin.

One last post and then I am dunzo. Thanks for letting your eyes wander over this direction to read all of these wedding posts. I appreciate all the encouragement tremendously!

LET'S CELEBRATE AMERICA

Happy birthday, America. I'm bringing three different looks to this blog to celebrate the occasion. My fashion posts have been put on the back burner because Belle Vie has been wedding central lately, but I couldn't miss out on showing off this new patriotic tank I found a few days ago. I adored this festive top that can also be used for every day wear!



I used three different pairs of shoes to change up the look of this outfit! Heels are my go-to. I tend to become a normal height once they are slipped onto my feet as well as obtaining a boost in self-confidence. Luckily I have been able to find all of my new additions to my shoe collection at Goodwill for a few bucks each. At least every time I enter that store or every other time, I come out with a new pair of heels. It's a bad obsession, but at least it's cheap!



I know that many of you have asked for links to each clothing item and I am so sorry I am not better at being more direct at where each piece is found! Most of what I wear is discovered at either Goodwill or Plato's Closet. If there is a boutique I find a clothing item at and do not advertise for them, it is not because I am withholding from you. I choose to be very careful who I advertise for on my website. I would hate for one of my readers to order from a boutique online and waste their money when I have not tested it out first. Whenever I advertise or post links, I want to encourage quality businesses/business owners only. So I tend to be pretty picky.

If you styled a look for the celebration of America's birthday puhlease comment and leave your link so I can check it out!

THE WEDDING // CAKE + DANCING

Our perfectly crafted cakes were made to be admired and enjoyed. I am so thankful I married one of those guys that weren't born with the urge to throw cake in their bride's face. Starting off, I warned him but before I could finish he just said, "I would never do that, you look so beautiful and worked too hard at getting ready for this day." Like okay so glad I married you.





Our dance was sweet. There were hardly any spins or dips, just romantic phrases being whispered in my ear for three and a half minutes. He made me laugh, tear up a little, but more than anything he made me feel like we could conquer the world together as a team. Honestly, marriage scared me. Marriage with Creed though, it does not come with the bad connotation that I had always considered it to have. Marriage with Creed was just telling my best friend that I would be his forever and we would figure out life as we went. He is so patient with me, I could not imagine fitting with anyone better than I do him.



I was expecting to cry, I was. It's my dad. We had discussed the left, left, right type of movement that afternoon. Once my dad stepped foot on the dance floor we started swaying to "My Girl" like nobody's business. He twirled me, shook his booty with me, and we got to act super silly together. What a lot of people didn't know is that when I was five years old we danced to the same song on a stage in front of hundreds of people, it was a daddy-daughter dance. I had been placed in the cutest tutu and wished good luck as my wee little brain scrambled to remember the choreographed routine.

Someone asked me, "Do you not feel like you missed out by not having that special moment with your dad? Slow dancing to that song?" Um, no. I had an even more special moment with my dad, a spontaneous dance that will forever be in my heart. I will never forget that dance as long as I live. That was so much more special than having to process all of my emotions on my dad's shoulder. I would rather do that quietly away from a crowd. No, this was pure bliss. Being spun around by the same guy that spun me around when I was five years old.  That is a special moment that I hope every bride could have with their fathers.

I promise I am still a fashion blogger behind all of these wedding posts! Coming soon is my fourth of July outfit that you HAVE to see. Can't wait to show you guys this preppy, boutique style to celebrate America's birthday!